Updated 03/10 with new pics - To render or not to render? Building Rome

[TheBlackCrane]

Update 03/10/20:
Interrupted somewhat by work and a bit of a slowdown painting-wise, I have completed the first building and the second is ready to be rendered.

Pics at the bottom of the thread


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Somewhat to my surprise, this evening I've built two buildings for Gangs of Rome (my surprise being that I started and finished both in the space of an evening). They were actually easier to build than I anticipated, the workshop model took about 30 minutes and the warehouse more like 90.

Suffice to say, my next thought is whether to render the walls or paint them 'flat'.

The photos I've see of these buildings painted up without rendered walls still look pretty good, but I'm wondering whether they will look a bit, well, flat, if I don't.

Anyone any thoughts?

[6mmfan]

Definitely render, the effect is so much better IMHO

[SJWi]

I've done both. I rendered my Warbases Mansio and Temple, but left the Villa unrendered. The remdering does add "something" but I am pleased with the Villa.  I spray my buildings with a matt gray car primer which actually adds a small degree of "texture" to the walls. If you don't render I would recommend this.

[carlos marighela]

Matthew 22:21 Jesus said "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's...."

Can't get a better authority than that surely? The choice is now obvious.

[TheBlackCrane]

Thanks for the replies, I went ahead and rendered the first building yesterday and I think it will indeed look better than flat once painted up. Didn't actually take me as long as I thought it would.

[cadbren]

What's rendering? Is that adding a texture with plaster?

[AndrewBeasley]

The best thing I found to render MDF is Ronseal Wood Filler.


I had a tube that went gritty but still flowed and it was the best ever - the newer tubes still work well and I find it binds to the wood better than plaster based or plaster fillers.


Given a choice, I like to leave a bit of wood clear to denote where the render has broken off - may not be suitable for posh Roman building though :-)

[FreakyFenton]

What's rendering? Is that adding a texture with plaster?

Basically, sort of like white spackle, greenstuff, Pva mixtures with sand and paint and the like to give a wall some texture. Or to simulate wear and tear.

[FramFramson]

In some places you can also buy textured spray-paint, which is fast, but does require some masking of windows and doors, removal of the roof, etc.

[Mr.J]

I’d love to see some photos. It’s a dialogue I forever have in my own mind which often means nothing gets finished!

[TheBlackCrane]

I use 4Ground's 'Base Render'; when I get onto the second building I'll post some shots of it before and after, and then again when painted so you get an idea of what it looks like.

I would post a shot of the first building but it's already been undercoated now so it'll look awful until it's painted 

[TheBlackCrane]

Given a choice, I like to leave a bit of wood clear to denote where the render has broken off - may not be suitable for posh Roman building though :-)

Oh these are by no means going to be the domain of noble Roman patrons! Much more down in the subura (which, admittedly, was also frequented by the Roman aristocracy at times  ). I was quite light touch with the render, and on the warehouse yes was planning to leave the odd bit bare too - I will post some shots as I go along.

[TheBlackCrane]

I've fiished building no1 - workshop block. Down to represent a grubbier, not particularly salubrious part of Rome, hence the broken and muddied paving out front. You can see the effect the rendering has on making the mdf look less flat.

Front and Back

Ends

[TheBlackCrane]

I'm going to post some updates of the next building in progress so it shows the flat mdf to the painted finished building; doing the rendering on this one is a task for either today or tomorrow:

First up: flat mdf as built.

[carlos marighela]

Rendering looks good! Having gone to that effort you owe it to yourself to tile those roofs. Couple of sheets of J&T or Peco tiles should see you right. Given that we mainly view these buildings from above, the positive effect of decent roofing is disproportionate to the effort required.